Fighting must stop immediately in Libya if it is to have any
chance of staving off the COVID-19 outbreak, the top United Nations official in
the North African country said on Tuesday as he condemned an attack on a major
Tripoli hospital.

At least one health worker was injured when the Al-Khandra
General Hospital came under heavy shelling on Monday, damaging the
fully-functioning 400-bed facility.

Yacoub El Hillo, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in
Libya, said the attack not only violated international humanitarian law, but
also defied calls for a global ceasefire amid the coronavirus pandemic.

It also showed ongoing disregard for a truce announced in
mid-January between the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) and
the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) led by commander Khalifa Haftar that
began to lay siege to the capital Tripoli, a year ago.

“This is unacceptable at a time when healthcare and health
workers are vital in our fight against a global pandemic”, Mr. El Hillo said,
adding that the hospital was a potential COVID-19 assigned facility.

“A deplorable strike like this – resulting in senseless
damage of a most-needed medical facility – cannot be justified”, he said in a
statement.

Libya racing against time to contain virus

Libya has reported 18 confirmed cases of the novel
coronavirus so far, and one death, according to a global situation report
issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday.

“Libyan health authorities, together with the UN and our
humanitarian partners, have been racing against time to contain the spread of
the virus”, said Mr. El Hillo, also the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special
Representative for Libya.

“The conflict has since escalated into a dangerous and
potentially endless proxy war fueled by cynical foreign powers that has now
widened geographically, with civilians paying the highest price”, it said.

The humanitarian situation has deteriorated to unprecedented
levels, it said, with UNSMIL documenting at least 356 civilian deaths and 329
injuries in the year to 31 March. Some 149,000 people in and around Tripoli
have been forced to flee their homes since the offensive began; nearly 345,000
civilians remain in frontline area and an estimated 749,000 live in areas
affected by fighting.

An estimated 893,000 are in need of humanitarian assistance,
UNSMIL said, adding that it has received a growing number of reports of human
rights violations, including hundreds of cases of arbitrary detention, enforced
disappearance, torture and extrajudicial executions by armed groups across
Libya.

The conflict is taking a heavy toll on Libya’s already
struggling economy. An oil blockade imposed on 17 January has results in more
than $4 billion in financial losses, while funds that should be going into critical
infrastructure are being redirected to the war effort.

“The influx of foreign fighters and advanced weapons systems
into the country continues unabated and their use on the battlefield has
directly lead to an intensification of the conflict,” UNSMIL said, pointing as
well to a “flagrant disregard” of an embargo on arms shipments into Libya.

“If Libya is to have any chance against COVID-19, the
ongoing conflict must come to an immediate halt.”

As of March, a total of 27 health facilities in Libya have
sustained damage to varying degrees due to the proximity of fighting, with 14
being forced to close and the remainder at risk of following suit as lines of
conflict shift.

In a statement on 4 April, the first anniversary of the
start of the LNA’s offensive to seize Tripoli, the United Nations Support
Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said the country was in the midst of a needless
conflict that has shattered hopes for a peaceful political transition through a
UN-backed National Conference and subsequent elections.